Mario Cristobal has a Top 10 team and one of the best offenses in the country. He will look to keep the momentum as the team enters ACC play against Virginia Tech. Cristobal met with the media to discuss the team:
Opening statement: I want to say thanks to our fans that traveled to Tampa this past weekend. They certainly had an impact on us, made a great impression on our players, and they're very grateful for that and looking forward to seeing all of them pack up Hard Rock this Friday night.
Right to work. Shorter week for our guys, and we have an opportunity to open up conference play against one of our storied rivals. Can't say enough about them. I think we've seen enough tape to know these guys are as talented as anybody that we have faced, and then some. They’re especially talented up front. Very powerful, explosive, twitchy, top 10 in sacks in the country for a reason, and they're deep. They play their base, but they also have a significant amount of exotic pressures. They're very organized. They're really good tacklers. On defense, they're long, a lot of athletic ability, a lot of speed. They do a good job on the back end, one of the top cover teams in the country. And then they're, again, complemented by awesome special teams, as Virginia Tech always is.
Offensively, you've all seen it. This is a team that returns 20 of 22 starters from last year's team. One of the favorites, not only to win the conference, but to be in the College Football Playoff. They're a loaded football team, and their quarterback is an extremely explosive, dangerous, accurate player, a great leader. They're big, massive up front, great running game, explosive receivers. Looking forward to a great matchup.
On keeping an edge during a winning streak: Leadership at every level, especially in the locker room. It goes back to what they decided a while back. They felt like they've had enough. They've had enough of all the stuff we’ve been hearing for a couple of decades, even though some of them weren't from here or didn't know much about it. They've learned it.
They’ve also realized that positive anger is energy that burns clean. It just keeps going. It's almost an endless supply of juice. And it's real. There's no gimmicks to it. There's just watching that film, knowing that there's a standard. We haven't achieved it yet. There's room to grow, but we feel we can achieve it. So full throttle, foot on the gas.
On the team’s success off the field: It's completely tied in. You are what you are, 24/7. I don't think you can Jekyll and Hyde much in life. I'm not saying I played with perfect citizens. We were a little bit here and there. But the advances in football, it's so much more complicated now. The demands, the rigors that come with it, the regiment. You need Class A, top-notch human beings that understand betterment, understand being a high achiever in all things.
That's five successive semesters where our GPA has broken the previous semester and team record from a GPA standpoint. Jessica Lopez, I refer to her as a coach. She's our director of academic student services, associate AD. She is the best in the business, was super impactful for us out there at Oregon, and she's gone above and beyond here. That's a direct correlation to improvement on the field, because it becomes part of your DNA. You refuse to lose and you refuse to settle for anything but your best.
On Rueben Bain: He wants to be there. If he can't contribute physically like the last three weeks – hopefully we do have him this week – he wants to in some way, shape or form impact the team in a positive way. In the previous weeks, he has gotten some work, but when he hasn't been able to work, he's right there with those guys. He's with them in the film room. He's spending extra time with them, so he cares about Miami. He cares about his teammates. He's had a really positive impact.
On playing with an edge versus getting penalized: I don't know if there's a balance, just don't get penalized. Play really, really hard, make sure you play to a standard. And know that there's nothing post-snap that can help you, unless you draw it from the other team. You want a team that really enjoys playing a physical brand, a very passionate brand of football that plays with great energy, that is relentless, and that plays for each other. Get better at not going overboard, regardless of whether you're being antagonized or whatnot. Just keep playing football, play to the Miami standard.
On the enthusiasm in the community: They're excited and you can feel it. You could feel it when we were in Gainesville, the swarm of people that were out there. We felt that this past week. We looked to our sideline and it was all orange and green. They stayed there for the entire time. They really enjoyed it.
I think they're witnessing a tremendous step for the program. It’s one that we intend to continue ascending on. They also get to see some really unique personalities and some special players that maybe haven't existed in Miami football in the last several years. They're very personable, affable guys that love this community. They have done a lot of community service work, so their faces are very recognizable. There's a lot of local players on this team that were Little League legends that are now becoming prominent players in our program.
So I think the bond of the University of Miami football team is revived and once again becoming very real with the community. It’s a reason why I wanted to come here as a player, because when that thing reaches a certain level of strength and power, it's unmatched. It’s a great thing for the community. It changes the demeanor of our city and our people.
Miami tends to gravitate towards certain personalities. You've seen it, man. Don Shula, Bob Griese, Dan Marino, LeBron James. There's been so many great athletes to go through here. Should I mention Joe Rose? You're going to get sensitive if I don't mention Joe Rose.
But these guys are handling it well because they're staying focused and the right type of mad. Their humility through all the the progress. The most important thing is they know that we're playing a great football team this weekend and they know it's the most important and the biggest game on our schedule right now. All focus is on that and we're going to stay that course.
On the short week: We've had enough experience over the years and some really good regiments and blueprints for weeks like this. How to get adequate rest without missing the critical reps, when to really knock each other around in pads and when to pull away from that. We've established a good balance there. The coaches just gotta suck it up. You gotta put in the hours that you miss on that Sunday. You’ve gotta take those 24 hours and somehow plug them all into the days of work leading up to your real action-plan days of practice. We've done that, so we feel very confident in our processes and are looking forward to playing a great football team.
On Isaiah Horton: He's changed his body. He's changed his demeanor. He's always been a hard worker. Everyone wants things to be really quick, to happen right away. He has had the natural progression of an excellent college football player where he's changed his body, he's changed his mindset.
It’s neat for guys that got here when things were rough and you had to go through it and you had to endure and you had to learn and had to eat the tough moments. That's invaluable. He's been through that, and now he's seeing the benefits of having gone through that and having success. He's another guy that's really, really hungry for more. Very driven guy, awesome family, just Class-A people that have raised an awesome young man. And he's another one that we feel is just getting started.
On the defensive line: We're layered the right way. We have some seasoned veterans that have played a lot of football and have had a lot of success at different places and here. And then behind them are some high-caliber, talented guys that are starting to show they're really good players and have really, really bright futures.
We're capable of using that depth and rolling them in there and keeping the competition levels high. We can run. We can bend. We're certainly getting better. We're playing harder. They want more. They want to be challenged.
On the running game: The passing game has been really, really explosive. The running game has been solid to good. And we haven't had as many opportunities at it. But we're very confident in it. We've got good blockers. We've got good backs. We're really close to putting it all together.
There are some bright spots and some other times where you certainly want more. It hasn't been as flashy, but I don't think we're interested in flash. We want to win football games. Whatever it takes to make sure we move the sticks and score points, we will do.
On Matthew McCoy: That guy's tough, man. He was basically a power forward that took on football and just started growing and eating and lifting. He jumped into that O-Line culture that Coach Mirabal does such an awesome job with, and he has become a very resilient, hardworking, completely bought in, get after you every single play, athletic, bendy, twisty guy.
This guy's got a big, big future, man. If you could sign three Matt McCoys every single year, it's a home run. The guy is from top to bottom, inside and out, exactly what you want. Awesome family, awesome parents. He's probably the third best athlete in his family. The parents and the sister are better athletes than him. We always kid him about that. But yeah, he's the right kind of guy. Another reason why our team and our offense is progressing at the rate it is.
On Damari Brown and Ryan Rodriguez’s return from injury: A little bit longer for those guys.
On guys stepping up as leaders: Francis, Big Cisi. He doesn't talk a whole bunch, but when he does you feel all 6’6, 335 of it, because it comes from the heart. He's not gonna be outworked in practice. He came in really talented, but his level of play this year as compared to last year, it's two different planets. That guy's playing at an extremely high level because he works at it. Then when the lights come on, he goes after it with everything in his body and soul. He was very impactful in the locker room on Saturday. He's part of Leadership Council.
Zach Carpenter is another one that stands out. Akheem Mesidor, Kiko. Meesh Powell is an excellent leader. Cam Ward, we've mentioned him a bunch. Elijah Arroyo has done an excellent job. No one mentions Andy [Borregales] because we're scoring touchdowns, but he's knocking just about every ball out of the end zone, as well hitting his field goals and extra points. The best part about the team is they work really hard and they do a good job leading.
On determining playing time: You’ve got to set the bar. I can't orchestrate it or fake it. It is what it is. When we go in there and watch film, they know. You put in the first three or four clips, and if the standard isn't met, they know there's something that comes with that. It's the only fair way to improve your team. The only way to keep a team in a mindset of getting better is to make competition real. Not created, not orchestrated, but legitimately having great, tough-minded, resilient, hardworking guys trying to improve each other and being the best they can be.
Here, competition has been welcomed. If you sat in the running back room, that epitomizes that whole concept. It's made us so much better. And you're seeing it every week. It's somebody different hitting for us. Now you're starting to see it in the wide receiver room. The D-line room is starting to have its spurts. Samson Okunlola played some the other night as well. You're seeing more and more guys make plays. And you're seeing on the other side of the field, when they make a play, the same positions are going bananas for their teammate. That's a good sign. We want to keep emphasizing that and keep it going.
Opening statement: I want to say thanks to our fans that traveled to Tampa this past weekend. They certainly had an impact on us, made a great impression on our players, and they're very grateful for that and looking forward to seeing all of them pack up Hard Rock this Friday night.
Right to work. Shorter week for our guys, and we have an opportunity to open up conference play against one of our storied rivals. Can't say enough about them. I think we've seen enough tape to know these guys are as talented as anybody that we have faced, and then some. They’re especially talented up front. Very powerful, explosive, twitchy, top 10 in sacks in the country for a reason, and they're deep. They play their base, but they also have a significant amount of exotic pressures. They're very organized. They're really good tacklers. On defense, they're long, a lot of athletic ability, a lot of speed. They do a good job on the back end, one of the top cover teams in the country. And then they're, again, complemented by awesome special teams, as Virginia Tech always is.
Offensively, you've all seen it. This is a team that returns 20 of 22 starters from last year's team. One of the favorites, not only to win the conference, but to be in the College Football Playoff. They're a loaded football team, and their quarterback is an extremely explosive, dangerous, accurate player, a great leader. They're big, massive up front, great running game, explosive receivers. Looking forward to a great matchup.
On keeping an edge during a winning streak: Leadership at every level, especially in the locker room. It goes back to what they decided a while back. They felt like they've had enough. They've had enough of all the stuff we’ve been hearing for a couple of decades, even though some of them weren't from here or didn't know much about it. They've learned it.
They’ve also realized that positive anger is energy that burns clean. It just keeps going. It's almost an endless supply of juice. And it's real. There's no gimmicks to it. There's just watching that film, knowing that there's a standard. We haven't achieved it yet. There's room to grow, but we feel we can achieve it. So full throttle, foot on the gas.
On the team’s success off the field: It's completely tied in. You are what you are, 24/7. I don't think you can Jekyll and Hyde much in life. I'm not saying I played with perfect citizens. We were a little bit here and there. But the advances in football, it's so much more complicated now. The demands, the rigors that come with it, the regiment. You need Class A, top-notch human beings that understand betterment, understand being a high achiever in all things.
That's five successive semesters where our GPA has broken the previous semester and team record from a GPA standpoint. Jessica Lopez, I refer to her as a coach. She's our director of academic student services, associate AD. She is the best in the business, was super impactful for us out there at Oregon, and she's gone above and beyond here. That's a direct correlation to improvement on the field, because it becomes part of your DNA. You refuse to lose and you refuse to settle for anything but your best.
On Rueben Bain: He wants to be there. If he can't contribute physically like the last three weeks – hopefully we do have him this week – he wants to in some way, shape or form impact the team in a positive way. In the previous weeks, he has gotten some work, but when he hasn't been able to work, he's right there with those guys. He's with them in the film room. He's spending extra time with them, so he cares about Miami. He cares about his teammates. He's had a really positive impact.
On playing with an edge versus getting penalized: I don't know if there's a balance, just don't get penalized. Play really, really hard, make sure you play to a standard. And know that there's nothing post-snap that can help you, unless you draw it from the other team. You want a team that really enjoys playing a physical brand, a very passionate brand of football that plays with great energy, that is relentless, and that plays for each other. Get better at not going overboard, regardless of whether you're being antagonized or whatnot. Just keep playing football, play to the Miami standard.
On the enthusiasm in the community: They're excited and you can feel it. You could feel it when we were in Gainesville, the swarm of people that were out there. We felt that this past week. We looked to our sideline and it was all orange and green. They stayed there for the entire time. They really enjoyed it.
I think they're witnessing a tremendous step for the program. It’s one that we intend to continue ascending on. They also get to see some really unique personalities and some special players that maybe haven't existed in Miami football in the last several years. They're very personable, affable guys that love this community. They have done a lot of community service work, so their faces are very recognizable. There's a lot of local players on this team that were Little League legends that are now becoming prominent players in our program.
So I think the bond of the University of Miami football team is revived and once again becoming very real with the community. It’s a reason why I wanted to come here as a player, because when that thing reaches a certain level of strength and power, it's unmatched. It’s a great thing for the community. It changes the demeanor of our city and our people.
Miami tends to gravitate towards certain personalities. You've seen it, man. Don Shula, Bob Griese, Dan Marino, LeBron James. There's been so many great athletes to go through here. Should I mention Joe Rose? You're going to get sensitive if I don't mention Joe Rose.
But these guys are handling it well because they're staying focused and the right type of mad. Their humility through all the the progress. The most important thing is they know that we're playing a great football team this weekend and they know it's the most important and the biggest game on our schedule right now. All focus is on that and we're going to stay that course.
On the short week: We've had enough experience over the years and some really good regiments and blueprints for weeks like this. How to get adequate rest without missing the critical reps, when to really knock each other around in pads and when to pull away from that. We've established a good balance there. The coaches just gotta suck it up. You gotta put in the hours that you miss on that Sunday. You’ve gotta take those 24 hours and somehow plug them all into the days of work leading up to your real action-plan days of practice. We've done that, so we feel very confident in our processes and are looking forward to playing a great football team.
On Isaiah Horton: He's changed his body. He's changed his demeanor. He's always been a hard worker. Everyone wants things to be really quick, to happen right away. He has had the natural progression of an excellent college football player where he's changed his body, he's changed his mindset.
It’s neat for guys that got here when things were rough and you had to go through it and you had to endure and you had to learn and had to eat the tough moments. That's invaluable. He's been through that, and now he's seeing the benefits of having gone through that and having success. He's another guy that's really, really hungry for more. Very driven guy, awesome family, just Class-A people that have raised an awesome young man. And he's another one that we feel is just getting started.
On the defensive line: We're layered the right way. We have some seasoned veterans that have played a lot of football and have had a lot of success at different places and here. And then behind them are some high-caliber, talented guys that are starting to show they're really good players and have really, really bright futures.
We're capable of using that depth and rolling them in there and keeping the competition levels high. We can run. We can bend. We're certainly getting better. We're playing harder. They want more. They want to be challenged.
On the running game: The passing game has been really, really explosive. The running game has been solid to good. And we haven't had as many opportunities at it. But we're very confident in it. We've got good blockers. We've got good backs. We're really close to putting it all together.
There are some bright spots and some other times where you certainly want more. It hasn't been as flashy, but I don't think we're interested in flash. We want to win football games. Whatever it takes to make sure we move the sticks and score points, we will do.
On Matthew McCoy: That guy's tough, man. He was basically a power forward that took on football and just started growing and eating and lifting. He jumped into that O-Line culture that Coach Mirabal does such an awesome job with, and he has become a very resilient, hardworking, completely bought in, get after you every single play, athletic, bendy, twisty guy.
This guy's got a big, big future, man. If you could sign three Matt McCoys every single year, it's a home run. The guy is from top to bottom, inside and out, exactly what you want. Awesome family, awesome parents. He's probably the third best athlete in his family. The parents and the sister are better athletes than him. We always kid him about that. But yeah, he's the right kind of guy. Another reason why our team and our offense is progressing at the rate it is.
On Damari Brown and Ryan Rodriguez’s return from injury: A little bit longer for those guys.
On guys stepping up as leaders: Francis, Big Cisi. He doesn't talk a whole bunch, but when he does you feel all 6’6, 335 of it, because it comes from the heart. He's not gonna be outworked in practice. He came in really talented, but his level of play this year as compared to last year, it's two different planets. That guy's playing at an extremely high level because he works at it. Then when the lights come on, he goes after it with everything in his body and soul. He was very impactful in the locker room on Saturday. He's part of Leadership Council.
Zach Carpenter is another one that stands out. Akheem Mesidor, Kiko. Meesh Powell is an excellent leader. Cam Ward, we've mentioned him a bunch. Elijah Arroyo has done an excellent job. No one mentions Andy [Borregales] because we're scoring touchdowns, but he's knocking just about every ball out of the end zone, as well hitting his field goals and extra points. The best part about the team is they work really hard and they do a good job leading.
On determining playing time: You’ve got to set the bar. I can't orchestrate it or fake it. It is what it is. When we go in there and watch film, they know. You put in the first three or four clips, and if the standard isn't met, they know there's something that comes with that. It's the only fair way to improve your team. The only way to keep a team in a mindset of getting better is to make competition real. Not created, not orchestrated, but legitimately having great, tough-minded, resilient, hardworking guys trying to improve each other and being the best they can be.
Here, competition has been welcomed. If you sat in the running back room, that epitomizes that whole concept. It's made us so much better. And you're seeing it every week. It's somebody different hitting for us. Now you're starting to see it in the wide receiver room. The D-line room is starting to have its spurts. Samson Okunlola played some the other night as well. You're seeing more and more guys make plays. And you're seeing on the other side of the field, when they make a play, the same positions are going bananas for their teammate. That's a good sign. We want to keep emphasizing that and keep it going.
